News & Security Advice

Safety at NSW music festivals to be improved

09/11/2018

The Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority will administer a special new liquor licence for music festivals under plans to improve safety at these events.

The NSW Government will implement this and other recommendations of an expert panel, which was convened to improve safety at music festivals following the deaths of two young people who attended the Defqon.1 festival in September.

All of the expert panel’s recommendations have been accepted in-principle by the NSW Government. They focus on three key areas:

Improving the regulation of music festivals by introducing a new, specific and consistent licensing regime to improve safety, and provide certainty for the music festival industry and other stakeholders.

Strengthening drug and alcohol education, and providing more support for frontline health workers at music festivals.

Strengthening laws to target drug suppliers by introducing a new offence that will hold drug dealers responsible for deaths they cause, and trialling on-the-spot fines for drug possession at music festivals.